Wire-shaping machine.



A. RHENSTROM.-

WIRE SHAPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, I9I5.

1,173,739, Patented Feb.29,1916.

4 SHEETSISIHEET 1.

A. RHENSTROM.

WIRE SHAPNG MACHINE.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAR. 3. 1915.

1,173,739. Patented Feb. 29,1916.v

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

T COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH c0., WASHINGTON, b. c.

A. RHENSTROM.

WIRE SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, 1915.

1,173,739. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., wAsmNu'ruN, D. c

A. RHENSTROM.

WIRE SHAPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1915.

1,173,739. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

4 SHEETS$HEET 4- THE COLUMBIA PLAIjwflRAPH co., WASHINg'T ON, u. c.

ANTHONY EHENSTEOM, 0F KENGSHA, WISCONSIN.

WIRE-SHAPING MACHINE.

Epecification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed. March 3, 1915. Serial No. 11,839.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I. ANTHOXY RHEN- s'rnon, citizen of the United States, residing at Kenosha, in the county of Kenosha and State of \Visconsin, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in lVire-Shaping Machines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specifica: tion. l

My inventirn relates to machines for shaping wire and is of particular service in the manufacture of fabric forming units, though the invention is not to be thus limited.

The invention has for one of its objects the provision of mechanism for forming links with eyes or lrops at their mid portions. this feature of the invention not being limited to the formation of completely closed eyes.

My invention has for another of its objects the provision of improved means for assembling or shaping for assembly the links before they issue from the machine.

The invention has for another of its objects the provision of a guide for predetermining the relative movement of different branches of a section of wire that is to be operated upon by the machine to form closed eyes. This feature of the invention is desirablv practi ed in connection with another feature of the invention which inolves such a relative. movement of eye forming pins as to cause their relative approach and separation transversely to their plane of movement to permit of the proper movement of the wire and the proper application thereof to eye making formations.

My invention has other characteristics and the varirus characteristics thereof, while preferably embodied in a single machine, are not to be limited to their employment in one machine.

I will explain my invention more fully by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof and in which- I Figu e 1 is a plan view of a machine constructed in acc rdance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail. view on line '2-2 of Fig. 1: Fig. 3 is a view on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. i is a view illustrating a portion of the product of the mach ne; Fig. 5 is a view on line 55 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a view on line 7-7 of Fig. 3 illustrating a detail; Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the structure; and Figs. 9, 10, and 11 illustrate differing positions of certain parts of the mechanism, Fig. 11 being taken on line 11'11 of Fig. 8.

Like parts are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The wire 1 upon which the machine is to operate is drawn from a reel by the usual gripper 2, the wire 1 being directed toward the machine by a guide 3. The machine carries guides 4: and 5 through which the wire 1 is also passed, these latter guides directing the wire to a reciprocating cutting blade 6. This blade is carried upon a reciprccating blade carrying slide 7 which has pin and slot connection with one end of a centrally stationarily pivoted rocking lever 8. the other end of this rocking lever having pin and slot connection with a slide 9. A cam roller 10 is provided upon an end of the slide 9, this cam roller engaging a cam 11 upon a suitably driven cam shaft 12 of the machine. The cam 11 serves periodically to turn the rocking lever 8 clockwise to sever the wire 1 into lengths that are just sufficient to form the fabric links or units of which one type is illustrated in Fig. 4-. thrugh the machine is not to be limited to the formation of any particular kind of fabric making unit. The cam roller 10 is maintained in engagement with the cam 11 by a spring 13 which operates to remove the cutter 6 out of alinement with the wire 1 after each length of wire has b en severed. There is a guide 14 wh ch directs the port on of the wire that is to be severed and holds this p rtion of the wire after its severance until the shaping of the severed section of wire is crmmenced. lVhen the shaping operation commences the guide 14 is lifted. a motion which is permitted because the portion of this guide that receives the wire is in the form of an inverted slot which is itself open but which is closed by the bed portion 15 of the machine which cooperates with the guide in performing its function. This guide is desirably mounted upon a swinging arm 16 rig dly secured to one end of a shaft 17 whose other end carries an arm 18. This latter arm carries a screw 20 whose lower end is adapted to ride upon a cam 21 that is provided. upon the side 9, the screw 20 moving upon the cam when the guide 14 is to be lifted.

When the guide 14 is lifted the severed section of wire 1 is operated upon by the shaping mechanism which is designed to suit the particular fabric unit or link that is to be formed. Fig. 4 shows the type of fabric unit or link which the specific form of machine illustrated is designed to pro duce, though the machine is not to be limited to any particular form of fabric link. The shaping mechanism includes two non-rotating shafts or carriers 23 and 24 which are vertically disposed but are preferablyplaced out of alinement. The upper shaft 23 carries a downwardly extending pin or projection 25 while the lower shaft 24 carries an upwardly extending pin or projection 26, the pins 25 and 26 being thus non-rotatable and preferably eccentric to their shafts. The lower end of the shaft 23 is surrounded by a sleeve or carrier 27 While the upper end of shaft 24 is surrounded by a sleeve or carrier 28, these two sleeves being co-axial. with their shafts and being thus themselves in eccentric relation because of the non-alinement of said shafts. Sleeve 27 carries a downwardly extending pin or projection 29 while the sleeve 28 carries an upwardly extending pin or projection 30, these pins being thus movable with respect to the locality of the other pins. The sleeve 27 is upwardly extended and terminates at its upper end in a pinion 31 while the sleeve 28 is downwardly extended and terminates in a pinion 32, the sleeves and their respective pinions being rotatable upon the shafts 23 and 24 respectively. The pinion 32 meshes with a rack 33 formed in or carried by a cam slide 34 which carries a cam roller 3 bear-ins upon a cam 36 upon the main shaft 12. The Iatter cam roller is maintained in engagement with its cam by a s ring 37. By means of the cam 36 and the cam roller 35, the rack bar 33 is intermittently reciprocated to rotate the pinion 32 intermittently to rotate the sleeve 28 and thereby effect the bodily rotary movement, intermittently, of the pin 30 in the direction indicated by the arrows in Figs. 9 and 10. The

cam slide 34 also carries a rack portion 38 which is in mesh with a pinion 39 provided upon the lower end of a vertical shaft 40 whose upper end carries a pinion 41. A rack-bar 42 has a rack 43 upon one side that is in mesh with the upper pinion 41 and a rack 44 upon its other side which is in mesh with the pinion 31, the oppositely disposed racks 43 and 44 causing the sleeve 27 to turn in a reverse direction to that in which sleeve 28 turns. The elements 33, 38. 39, 41, 42, 43, 44 and 31 are designed and interrelated to effect the production of the desired link, the particular construction and arrangement of these elements illustrated being effective to produce the form of link illustrated in Fig. 4.

I do not wish to limit myself to the employment of two non-rotating. pins 25 and 26 in asscciation with two bodily rotatable pins. For example the employment of two non-rotating pins would not be required if the wire were to be left in the shape illustrated in Fig. 10 for in such case the pins 25 and 26 could readily be merged into a single element. V

At the time the elevation of the guide 14 is initiated the severed wire section 1 is positioned as illustrated in Fig. 9, the middle part of this wire section being engaged by the non-rotating pins 25 and 26 upon one side of the wire and by the pins 29 and 30 upon the other side of the wire. The sleeves 27 and 28 are now turned in opposite directions (see the arrows in Figs. 9 and 10) the pin 29 carrying the part a of the wire around the pin 25, one stage of movement being indicated in Fig. 10, and the final stage'being indicated in Fig. 11. Similarly, the pin 30 carries the part b of the wire around the pin 26, one stage of movement being indicated in Fig. 10 and the final stage being indicated in Fig. 11. Thus the wire is formed with two eyes 45, 46 (Fig. 4) at themiddle of the link, the link sides'a 6 being brought to parallelism though it is apparentthat the machine is not to be limited to the formation of a link having parallel sides. .Itywill be observed that the portion a of the wire section 1 has to pass over the pins 26 and 30 in order that it may be wrapped around the non-rrtating pin 25 to form the eye 45. It will also be observed thatthe portion 72 of the wire section 1 has to pass under the pins 25 and 29 in order that it may be wrapped around the pin 26 to form the eye 46. In order that this result may be accomplished one pair of pins, say the upper pair 25 and 29, is movable toward and from theplane of the other pair. The movement of the upper pair of pins away from the lower is effected by means of springs 47 and is permitted by a cam 48 engaging a cam roller 49 carried upon one end of a cam lever 50 whose other end carries a screw abutment 51 that engages the top of the shaft 23. The cam 48 is so constructedthat the upward movement of the upper pair of pins 25 and 29 commences when the parts sand 6 of the wire 1 commence to cross. Then these portions of the wire are brought generally to the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 10, the separation of the upper pair of pins 25 and 29 from the lower pair 26 and 30 issufiicient to enable the part a of the'wire to pass over the pin 30 and the part b of the wire to pass under the pin 29. The separation of the pairs of pins continues as the portions (1 and b of the Wire move to their final positions illustrated in Fig. 11, the portion a finally passing over the pin 30 and the portion I) finally passing under the pin 29. Thus the pins 29 and 30, which are eccentric to the sleeves or heads carrying them, are rotated nearly a revolution in opposite directions from the initial positions illustrated in Fig. 9. When the eyes have been formed in the wire the bodily rotations of these pins 29 and 30 are reversed to bring the pins to their normal position in Fig. 9 reparatory to forming the eyes of a new link. After the parts have been brought to the position illustrated in Fig. 11 the cam 48 forces the post 51 downwardly to bring the shaft 23 and the sleeve 27 downwardly to that position in which the wire at the eyes 45 and 46 is brought as nearly in the same plane as possible. In order that the part a of the wire may always be forced to move over the part b I employ a guide 52 which engages the wire part a to move it upwardly and the wire part b to prevent this part b from moving upwardly, the top of the guide engaging the wire part a and the bottom of the guide engaging the wire part b. I provide axial movement for the sleeve 27 and its shaft 23 for the double purpose of enabling the wire portions a b to pass each other and for the further purpose of compacting the wire at the eyes of the link but I do not wish to be limited to this means for enabling the wire portions a b to pass each other in the formation of the link. The initial formation of the link is indicated in Fig. 11, the hooks 53 at the other end of the link preferably not being formed until the eyes 45 and 46 have been formed. While these eyes are about the pins 25 and 26 the ends of the link project beyond a shelf 54 (Fig. 8), at which time the right hand upright edge of the anvil 55 is forced a little to the left of the edge of this shelf. A bender 56 is now brought into play to turn the projecting ends of the partially formed link upright as indicated in Fig. 3. Some of the last previously formed links, in their egress fro-m the machine, pass through a slide guide or carrier 57 which has laterally projecting arms 58 by which it is journaled upon trunnions 59. lVhile the ends of the partially formed link are being turned to the position illustrated in Fig. 3 the guide 57 is inclined upwardly to the left from the position illustrated in Fig. 3 so that the eyes 45 and 46 of the previously formed link are then above though in alinement with the upturned ends of the partially formed link, whereafter the guide 57 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction (to the position indicated in Fig. 3) to bring the eyes 45, 46 of the previously formed link over the upwardly projecting ends of the partially formed link as indicated in Fig.3. The anvil 55, having been withdrawn slightly to the left to permit the eyes of the previously formed link to settle over the upwardly projecting ends of the partially formed link, now cotiperates with the section 60 of the guide 57 to depress the upwardly projecting ends of the partially formed link to the left whereby these upwardly projecting ends of the partially formed link now constitute parts of partially collapsed hooks. In order to accomplish this result the portion 60 of the guide 57 is moved to the left to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. After the partially collapsed hooks are thus provided in the partially formed link the anvil 55 is completely withdrawn to the left to enable the guide 57 and its part 60 to move farther in a counter-clockwise direction to completely collapse the hooks in the newly formed link. In this way the links are united into a chain which is thereafter operated upon to complete the fabric either by hand or by another machine.

The anvil 55 is controlled in its operation by a cam 61 which operates upon a cam roller 62 that operates a cam slide 63 which carries a cam 64 that engages a lever 65 fixed upon the same shaft 66 with the anvil 55. The cam 64 moves the anvil to the right while the spring 67 moves the anvil to the left when the cam 61 permits. The bender 56 is pro vided with a shaft that carries a pinion 68 in mesh with a rack 69 provided upon the cam slide 63 whereby the bender 56 is timely operated as illustrated. The guide 57-60 as a whole, is turned upon its bearing 59, counter-clockwise. by means of a cam 70 that engages a cam roller 71 provided upon one end of a cam lever 72 intermediately pivoted at 7 3, the right-hand end of thecam lever carrying a downwardly projecting post 74 whose lower end rests upon the left-hand end of an arm 75 fixed with respect to the arms 58 and the bottom of the slide 57. A spring 76 raises the arm 75 when permitted so to do by the cam 70. The guide portion 60 is moved to the left in order partially to collapse the hooks in the links by the intermediately pivoted rocking lever 77 having pin and slot connection at its right-hand end with a cam slide 78 and at its other end with the guide portion 60. The cam slide 78 car ries a roller 79 which engages a cam 80 on the shaft 12. The restoring movement of the guide portion 60 to the right is effected by means of a spring 81. The downward movement of the guide portion 60, which is effected when this guide portion is in its lefthand position as indicated in Fig. 3 in dotted lines, is eflected as a consequence of a continuation of a downward movement of the 0st 74 operating through the spring 76. After the hooks have been mashed into enga gement with the eyes 45, 46 and when the slide 57 has been restored into alinement with the spacing between the sleeves 27 and 28,

to be formed in the manner which has been I described. In order that this may be accomplished the sleeve 27 and shaft 23 are elevated long enongh to permit the leaf spring 82 to dislodge the eyes 45 and 46 from the pins engaged thereby to permit the with drawing hook 82 to operate. The withdrawing hook 82 isoperated by a cam 83 which engages a cam roller 84: carried upon one end of a cam lever 85. The lever 85 is joined with a link 86 having a stationary anchorage 87 at its lower end, the upper end of this link being connected with the withdrawing hook 8'2.

lVhile I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown, as changesmay readily be" made without departing from the spirit of my invention; but

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following': V

l. A wire shaping machine including two carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation in opposite directions; a wire engaging projection bodily moved by each of these carriers; and wire engaging formation with respect to the locality of which both of said projections move and which cooperate therewith in shaping the wire.

2. A wire shaping machine including two carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation in opposite directions; a wire engaging projection bodily moved by each of these carriers; wire engaging formation with respect to the locality of which both of said projections move and which cooperate therewith in shaping the wire; and means whereby one part of the wire is enabled to pass by one of said projections 1n its movement projections.

3. A wire shaping machine moludmg two carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation in opposite directions; a wire engaging projection bodily moved by each of these carriers; wire engaging formati n with respect to the locality of which both of said projections move and which cooperate therewith in shaping the wire; and means whereby each part of the wire engaged by aprojection is enabled to pass by the other projection.

4. A wire shaping machine including two carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation in opposite direc-' tions; a wire engaging projection bodily by the other of said moved by each of said carriers; two additional wire engaging projections with respect to the locality of each of which both of the aforesaid projections move; and means whereby one part of the wire is enabled to pass by one of the first aforesaid projections in its movement by the other of the first aforesaid projections.

5. A wire shaping machine includingtwo carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation in opposite direc-' tirns; a wire engaging pro-jectionbodily moved by each of said carriers; two additional wire engagingprojections with re spect to the locality of each of which both of the aforesaid projections move; and means whereby the parts of the wire engaged by" the first aforesaid projecticns'are each enabled to pass by that oneof the firstafore.

said projections not moving it.

6,A wire shaping machine including two carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotaticn'in opposite; directions; a wire cngaging'projection bodily moved by each of these carriers; wire engaging formation with respect to the locality of which both of said projections move and which cooperate therewith in shaping the wire; and means wher by one of said projections is moved out of the path of the wire projection. V

7. A wire shaping machine including two carriers thatface each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation in opposite direc portion moved by the other ticns; a wire engaging projection bodily moved by each of said carriers; two addi tional wire engaging projections with respect to the locality of each of which both of the aforesaid projections move; and

means whereby each of the first aforesaid projections is caused to be out of the path of the wire portion moved by the other.

8. A wire shaping machine including two carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation 1n oppcsitedirections; a wire engaging projection bodily moved by each of said carriers; two additional wire engaging projections with re-' spect to the locality of each of which both of the'aforesaid projecticns'move; means whereby each of the first aforesaid projections is caused to be out of the path of'the wire portion moved by the other; and means whereby each of the latter projections is caused to be out of the oath of the wire portion not directly engaging'it.

A wire shaping machine including two carriers that face each ('ther ;'m'echanism for effecting their-rotation in opposite directions: 'a wire engaging projection bodily moved by each of said carriers; two additi nal wire enga ing projections with res ect to the. locality of each'ofwhich brth of the aforesaid projections move;

means whereby the first aforesaid projections are relatively moved toward and from each other transversely to their plane of movement.

10. A wire shaping machine including two carriers that face each other; mechanism for effecting their rotation in opposite directions; a wire engaging projection bodily moved by each of said carriers; two additional wire engaging projections with respect to the locality of each of which both of the aforesaid projections move; and means whereby the first aforesaid projections and also the additional projections are relatively moved toward and from each other transversely to the plane of movement of the first aforesaid projections.

11. A wire shaping machine including mechanism for shaping the wire; a guide for positioning the wire to be shaped and located in close proximity to said mechanism; and means for moving the guide from the range of operation of said mechanism.

12. Wire link assembling mechanism including a link carrier; a link supporting shelf, said carrier and shelf being in close relation to enable them to support links with the end of one link overlying the adj acent end of the other link; bending mechanism for upturning ends of links; and means for moving said link carrier up and down with respect to said shelf.

ment of said element; and means for there- 7 after moving said element transversely of the links to bring said hooks to more closed positions.

15. A wire shaping machine including mechanism for shaping the wire; a guide for positioning the wire with reference to said mechanism and located near the same, this guide having an inverted slot in its bottom portion; and means for lifting the guide out of the range of operation of such mechanism.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 27th day of February, A. D.

ANTHONY RHENSTROIii.

Witnesses:

A. E. BUcKMAs'rER, ALoYsIUs (J. LIPPERT, O. H. \Varnms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

